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At first, I was unsure what to make of the protagonist's almost painstaking descriptions of his wanderings around Vancouver. But then I realized this setting is absolutely essential to the foundation of this story; after all, this is where marginalized women disappear, largely without a second thought. They truly are the "invisible dead." Why shouldn't this dark underside of Vancouver be laid bare for all to see?

This novel is a gritty, fast-paced page-turner and, while true that the subject matter may be disturbing and violent at times, this is based on reality of what has happened (is happening) in this urban center - and therefore, is something readers should not shy away from. As a resident of Vancouver, I'm aware of activity and discussions that have taken place here regarding murdered and missing indigenous women and I appreciate the effort that Sam Wiebe has taken to write a story based on this very sad issue. As Wiebe exclaims in his afterword, "This marginalization is not new. This, unfortunately, is part of our way of life." And as he suggests, I will be picking up Stevie Cameron's "On the Farm" for a closer look at Vancouver's troubled history because, as someone who lives here, sharing space with those who have much less, I think this is important to understand - particularly by anyone lucky enough to exist under more fortunate circumstances than those represented by the character of Chelsea Loam. After that, I look forward to reading the next in the Wakeland series.